Strip type can opener



E. E.,GODLEWSKI ETAL 2,797,842

July 2, 1957 V STRIP TYPE CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 22. 1954 Flip/9 L //'VK INVENTOR A 4 ATTORNEYS y 1957 E. E. GCDLEWSKI ET AL 2,797,842

STRIP TYPE CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nll INVENTORS Jim Filed Oct. 22, 1954 ATTORNEYS STRIP TYPE CAN OPENER Edmund E. Godlewski, Leonia, and Ralph I; Link, Jersey City, N. J.

Application'flctober 22, 1954, Serial No. 464,067

3 Claims. (Cl. 220-52) This inventionv relates to a sealing. stripping device for manually removing a sealing strip from a can or the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a manually actuated can sealingstrip removing device of the kind.

I ted States Patent Another object of this invention is to provide a can sealing strip removing deviceof this kind to easily remove a can sealing strip. for a can without the use of a can opening key, pliers or other hand tool.

A further object of this invention is to provide a can opening device of this. kind by theme of which a can closing and sealing strip is positioned away from contact with the fingers and hand of a person using this device whereby opening the can is accomplished without any injury to thehand or a finger from the removed strip at any time before, during or after the use of this opening device.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a can opening strip removing device constructed according to an embodiment of our invention.

'Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through an end of the handle and through the sea-ling strip clamp.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the handle and jaw connecting means, the handle being properly broken away.

'Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the strip clamping jaws and the pivot therefor removed from the assembly of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

When employing a can opener for opening the sealing strip of a can of material, as a can of food, it has been customary to provide a key on the can for use while removing the sealing strip therefrom. Ordinarily upon removal of the sealing strip the can is opened and the portion of the can on one side of the sealing strip is detachable from the remaining portions of the can.

However upon removal of the sealing strip from a can the sealing strip will often present a danger to the person opening the can during the time of the removal of the sealing strip therefrom and it is desired that by the use of this sealing strip removing device 10, constructed according to an embodiment of our invention, the sealing strip will not cut or otherwise injure a person opening the can.-

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the equally he termed a can. opener.

The sealing strip removing device 10 is formed with a horizontally extending fiat supporting bar 11 which may be detachably connected to a wall or fixed base 12. A

supporting bar hinge 14 is partially carried by the walland partially by thev supporting bar 11 there being a hinge;barrel 15 on one end of the supporting bar 11' which is rotatably engaged-about a hinge pin 16 on the bracket 17. The bracket 17 is formed of a hat plate: having a pair ofperpendicularly related walls 18 and one of the walls. 18 is provided with a plurality of slots 19 therethrough which extend radially outwardly from the hinge pin 16and are opened at the outer edge thereof; The slots '19 are adapted to receive a portion of the supporting bar 11 as clearly indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 1 of the drawings. By this provision of the plurality of slots 19 in the horizontal plate 18 the supporting bar and sealing strip removing device may be positioned at any angular relation to the wall or fixed base 12 when the. sealing: strip removing device 10 is to be used.

A conical sleeve:20 is formed on or secured to the supporting bar 11 at one end thereof remote from the hinge ,ban'el 15 on the other end thereof.

ing 22 therethrough extending radially and axially of the spindle 21. There. is also provided on the spindle 21 a plurality of oppositely extending hinge pins or hinge pinportions 24 extending radially outwardly from the spindle remote from" the hole 22 which also receives a hinge-pin-about to be described. The spindle 21 extends upwardly and outwardly from one end of the open ended conical sleeve 20 as clearly indicated in Figs. 1,

3 and-4 of the drawings and the jaw members 25 hingedly connected to the other end of'the spindle within the conical sleeve 20.-

Eachof the jaw'members 25 includes a conical shank portion 26 engageableat its outer surface with theinner surface of the conical sleeve 20 and at one end of the respective jaws 27, which jaws 27, are the essence of this invention as they will be used from removing a sealing strip from a can when they are used for that purpose.

Each of the conical shanks 26 is provided with a hinge pin receiving opening or half-hole to receive therebetween the hinge pins 24 from which the depending jaws 27 are hinged'ly mounted.

Each of the corelated jaws 27 is provided with a jaw guide 29 for engagement with a related jaw guide 29 on the other jaw 27 one of the jaw guides 29 being formed as a projection of one of the jaws 27 and the other of the jaw guides being formed as a recess 30 in which the jaw guide is adapted to be engaged for properly aligning the two related jaws 27. For resiliently urging the jaws 27 downwardly and outwardly from the lower edge of the conical sleeve 20 a coil spring 31 is engaged about the spindle having one end of the coil spring engageable with the jaws 27 and the other end of the coil engageable with the horizontal perpendicular edge 34 of the conical insert 32 within the sleeve 20 as clearly noted in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The half conical shanks 26 engage in a conical socket 32 formed in the lower end of insert 32, and when jaws 27 are in a lower released position they are held from disengagement with pin 24 by the limited movement permitted by socket 32 A handle bar 35 is pivotally connected to the upper outer end of the spindle 21 outwardly and upwardly from the sleeve 24). The handle bar 35 is formed of an elongated flat bar having a handle 36 on one end thereof and a shank at the other end of the plate engageable and pivotal on the spindle 21. The shank of the handle bar 35 has a pair of spaced apart shank plates 37 thereon, remote from the handle '36 and a pivot pin 33 isvloosely supported in a hole 39 in each of the shank plates and through the hole 22 at the extreme outer end of the spindle 21. In this manner the handle bar 35 is pivotally mounted on one end of the jaw member 25 and jaws 27 whereby the spindle may be drawn axially through the sleeve 20 when and as desired upon the pivotal movement of the handle bar 35 at right angles or perpendicular to the supporting bar 11 as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings against the force of the coil spring 31. During the normal use of the sealing strip removing device 10 the handle bar 35 is substantially parallel to the supporting bar 11 for rotating the spindle 21 and jaws 27 in engagement with an end of the strip 70 sealing the can to be opened. In this position of the handle bar 35, as Shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings the jaws 27 are spaced apart for the insertion or removal of an end of the strip .70 to be torn from the can. When the handle bar 35 is moved to a position parallel to the supporting bar 11 the jaws 27 are moved together in clamping relation on opposite sides of the end of the strip 70 as can be clearly noted in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In this clamped position of the handle bar 35 the spindle '21 and jaws 27 may 'be rotated while the sealing strip 70 is removed from the can.

The end edge 50 of the handle bar 35 is formed as a cam for engagement on the surface of the cam collar 51 between the sleeve 20 and the end of the handle bar 35. This cam engagement of the cams of the handle bar 35 and the collar on the sleeve '20 provide for the movement of the jaws 27 together or apart depending upon the direction of the movement of the handle bar 35.

As the can sealing strip removing device 10 is adapted for use on various sizes of cans a can engaging guide 61 is positioned perpendicular to the supporting bar 11 remote from the conical sleeve 20 and a second can engaging guide 62 is positioned on the supporting bar 11 adjacent to the can engaging guides 61 substantially co linear with the supporting bar.

In any event the perpendicular can engaging guide 61 is adapted to engage the upper surface of the can having the sealing strip to be removed thereon while the can engaging guide 62 is substantially perpendicular to the fiat can engaging guide 61 to properly position the can with the sealing strip removing device as clearly indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

While the specific details of one embodiment of this invention have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A can sea-ling strip removing device comprising a horizontal supporting bar, a vertical bearing sleeve at one end of said bar, a liner rotatable in said sleeve, said liner having a conical socket at the lower end thereof, a vertical spindle loose in said liner, the upper end of said spindle projecting above said liner, a crank handle formed with a bifurcated end straddling the upper end of said spindle, a pivot for extending through said bifurcations and said spindle, said bifurcations forming with said pin a cam means whereby rocking of said handle to an operating position at right angles to said spindle will pull said spindle upwardly, a pair of strip clamping jaws rockably carried by said spindle, each jaw having a tapered upper end disposed in said conical socket, and a spring in said liner about said spindle constantly urging the latter downwardly to jaw releasing position, rocking of said handle to a position aligning with said spindle effecting release of said jaws.

2. A can sealing strip removing device as set forth in in claim 1 wherein said jaws are of transversely arcuate configuration, a rib on one longitudinal edge of each jaw, the other longitudinal edge of each jaw having a groove in which said rib of the cooperating jaw engages to thereby hold said jaws in co-axial position.

' 3. A can sealing strip removing device as set forth in claim 1 including a laterally projecting can top engaging member carried by said supporting bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,236,781 Pannier Apr. 1, 1941 2,297,174 Tabb et al. Sept. 29, 1942 2,635,495 Thompson Apr. 21, 1953 2,693,897 Johnson et a1. Nov. 9, 1954 

